


Meeting the Kin-by-Choice

by SilverSapphyre



Series: Shorty Series [8]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Cussing, Demonic Influence, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Sass, cuteness, hints of lime, non-graphic OB/GYN appointment, sfw, two fem OCs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22620559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverSapphyre/pseuds/SilverSapphyre
Summary: After appeasing Nero's demonic instincts, things have calmed down enough for life to go back to normal.  There's one event that's been coming up that you haven't been looking forward to.  Your dislike of it is eased by what follows, which is the long-awaited chance to meet Nero's best friend and sister: Kyrie.
Relationships: Nero (Devil May Cry)/Reader, Nero (Devil May Cry)/You
Series: Shorty Series [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1496582
Comments: 9
Kudos: 75





	Meeting the Kin-by-Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Whew… This one took me a while! I knew where I wanted the story to go, but I couldn’t get it there. I’d like to order a road map to the town of Make Words Please. XD

Things were quickly back to as normal as they could be for you, considering you were a Devil Hunter and happened to be in a permanent relationship with a part-Devil. Dante and Vergil had finally been able to stop by without new renovations to your home. They were pleased as punch over getting rid of the cause of all the recent trouble for Devil Hunters, which turned out to be a wily, weak Devil with a vengeance streak. So many Hunters had accidentally disrupted the summoning of an Elder Devil, so the Devil decided to get rid of all of them.

“Take out the demon competition…take out the ones who’d kill the Elder Devil… Would’ve been a good plan,” Dante praised with a wry grin and a shrug of his shoulders, “if the little bastard hadn’t involved _you_ ,” and he pointed at you in emphasis.

“Wha- _Me_?” you spluttered in shock, “W-Why _me_?” You would’ve dropped your cocoa on the floor if Nero hadn’t caught it, though you had no idea how he did it without looking since he was currently knocking back the rest of his own.

Vergil shot you a displeased look and scolded, “Questioning your worth also doubts what Nero sees in you.” Your glare plainly stated you could live without the disdainful tone. “You are my son’s mate,” he continued more amicably, his annoyance with trying to play nice plain on his face. “What more reason do we need?”

Dante hummed in agreement then said, “Honestly?” and paused until you nodded. “I didn’t care a whole lot about you at first. You were pushy and poked in history that I don’t like touching- Wait, wait!” He lifted his hands in a calming gesture when _you_ growled at him, earning an amused snort from Vergil. “Let me finish! Like I said, I didn’t like you much. …But then I realized you were right…” He planted his hands on his hips and huffed a sigh. “I didn’t like _that_ either. I liked it _even less_ for the fact that I’ve done it to myself, and it’s almost to the point that I can’t do anything to fix it.”

You waited a moment to see if Dante was going to continue, but when he didn’t, you gently pointed out, “You’re here now,” with a nonchalant elbow to Nero’s ribs when you noticed he was finishing _your_ cocoa, too. You wondered what sort of chocolate-devouring maniac you had unleashed as he tried not to spew it from his nose. That new, little part of you that was more him than you was bubbling away in quiet happiness, though, and you’d give him all the chocolate in the world to keep that simmering joy alive.

Dante rolled his eyes at Nero, but he knew his nephew was paying the conversation all the attention in the world. The younger Hunter was just as bad as him when it came to emotions. “I guess I am,” he agreed after a moment, “and I have _you_ to thank for that.”

You blushed and ducked your head but were happy with the result all the same. Dante and Vergil had been more of a presence in Nero’s life in the last couple weeks than they had in the last _year_ , and if it took you chewing their faces off for that to happen, you’d gladly do it again. They had learned quickly that you weren’t afraid of them. You figured your lack of fear in the face of their half-Devil ancestry was what originally sparked their interest in you, and though they could do some major damage to you or kill you, you trusted them not to. You wondered if it was your influence that enabled the calm conversation between the three of them.

Nero drew you from your thoughts when he set your empty mug down on the coffee table with a sigh that was somehow both satisfied and annoyed. “Dante, I’m…I’m _used_ to being alone. I didn’t want to…to lose anyone else…” He rubbed a hand down his face, missing Dante’s wince at his words. “I could’ve called or visited, too, so it’s not all on you… Besides, even if you _did_ tell me back in Fortuna, what would we have done with it?”

Dante crossed his arms then heaved a sigh of his own, and you noted his fidgeting fingers tapping away at his forearm. “I slipped up back then, too…” he mentioned, “Said Yamato was my brother’s sword… Also said it had to be kept in the family…”

Nero’s eyes roamed over the room as he thought back to that hectic day when he lost almost _everything_. “Huh…so you did,” he muttered, rubbing his nose in embarrassment. “Not an excuse or anything, but I wasn’t exactly picking up on verbal subtleties that day. Besides, for all I knew, Sparda could’ve had more kids than just you.” 

This was something else you could tell had been eating at him for a long time, so you took his hand and gave him a tiny, encouraging smile when he glanced at you. The little smile he gave back was worth your weight in gold. 

“Not only that…Fortuna was under siege, for one thing,” he began, his voice and expression only growing more annoyed as he continued, “The Order was falling apart, and then the jackasses kidnapped _Kyrie_. People were trying harder to kill me than usual- Even _Credo_ attacked me…” He groaned and flopped against the back of the sofa to stare at the ceiling. “I was so pissed at everything that so much as _twitched_ that I couldn’t see straight. I’m _still_ pissed about things from back then.”

Dante sliced right through the tense atmosphere when he nudged Vergil’s arm and muttered, “See that? Kid holds a grudge just like you,” with a teasing grin a mile wide.

You were starting to pick up that Nero seemed to be the most mature one out of the three Sons of Sparda, and even _his_ maturity seemed to fly the coop on a regular basis, especially around Nico. This thought was only emphasized when Vergil and Dante immediately engaged in a _slap fight_ in the middle of your living room. Nero only rolled his eyes, easily able to tell it wasn’t serious, but when fists got involved, you slammed your hand on your coffee table to startle them, glared balefully, and growled out between clenched teeth, “ _No. Damage. To. My. House._ ”

If those three _Hellions_ of Sparda caused you to renovate just one more wall, you’d stick them to the floor with super glue and duct tape.

_______

There was one thing coming up on your calendar that you weren’t looking forward to, and that was your gynecologist appointment. It was only three times each year, plus you wouldn’t have your birth control without those triannual visits, but neither consolation made you excited for them. The closer the day got, Nero became cuddlier and more helpful than usual in attempt to combat the foul spark of your mood he could feel. You’d had to shoo him away from multiple chores since it wasn’t fair for him to take more onto himself just because you were annoyed with some outside factor. He wasn’t happy about settling for unobtrusively holding you.

“Hey,” he spoke up, his breath a soft brush of warmth over your ear while you cooked, “If you don’t have anything planned in the next week or so… Well, I was thinking, um…you wanted to meet Kyrie, right?” The agitation you felt over your upcoming task spiked sharply, and he felt it like a sword piercing him. “Oooookay,” he drawled, leaning around you to move everything off the hot burners and turn them off, “I need some words here.”

“Wha- Nero!” you fussed, growling when he took the tongs out of your hand. “This is _not_ funny!” You reached for your cooking utensil, but he held it out of your range easily and couldn’t help an amused smirk as you stood on your tiptoes. “Nero! Give back my-”

“No,” Nero interrupted, using a wing to scoop you up and plop you in a kitchen chair as he tossed the tongs behind him to land in the sink. You thought it wasn’t fair that he could pull off such slick moves like that. “Hey, pay attention,” he said with a tap to your nose then continued, “Talk to me. That hit of emotion would’ve brought me out of a dead sleep,” and pulled a chair around to sit on directly in front of you.

You stared at him for a moment before taking a deep breath and fidgeting with your pants. You stared down at where you plucked at the fabric, unable to look at him as you mumbled, “I, um…I have my gynecologist appointment, uh…tomorrow.” You cringed a little when he sighed softly, but he reached over to take your restless hands.

His voice was quiet and gentle when he said, “Hey, look at me,” and you glanced up at him through your lashes. “You face demons on a regular basis that would terrify anyone else,” he paused and kissed your hands to make you smile, “but we all have things we don’t like doing.” He huffed a laugh and blushed a little as he admitted, “Like, ah…trying to deal with crying people, I, uh…get all kinds of fidgety.”

You couldn’t help smiling wider at how sweet he was for trying to soothe your agitation. “Nero, do you know what a gynecologist is?” you asked, deciding to come clean about your current fear.

“Er, well, yeah… A doctor for your lady bits, right?” You tried to hold in your giggles, but he was just too damn cute, especially when he didn’t let go of your hand yet still managed to rub his nose with the back of his own. “What?” he mumbled, “I’m not wrong, am I?”

“No, you’re- you’re right,” you managed while getting your mirth under control. “This one is also my yearly checkup, so I’m going to be getting a breast and a pelvic exam along with my birth control.”

A sly, little smirk curved Nero’s lips, and he teased, “I probably know more about both of those than your doctor does.”

Your eyes fluttered closed as you took a deep breath, thoughts of his touch causing a pulse of warmth through you before you reined your desire in. “Yes…” you mumbled, “I don’t doubt that…but _she_ knows what… _abnormalities_ to look for that could cause a problem.” You heaved a sigh and decided to throw it out there, “The biggest problem here is that it involves a lot of touching in my bits-”

Nero’s first reaction was to bare his teeth and _snarl_ at the thought of someone else touching what was _his_. He could feel your worry like something nibbling at him, though, and he sucked in a quick breath and clamped down on his Devil instincts. There was a sharp twang of _distaste_ for what you had to do, as well. That soothed the Devil in him, and he reached over to pull you into his lap and nuzzled your neck. “Do you want me to go with you?” he wondered, keeping his tone simply curious.

You curled into him, soaking up his warmth, and considered for a moment before replying, “You’ll be sitting in the waiting room for a while if you do go…” You sighed and leaned into his touches when he smoothed his hands over your back. “I mean…I’ve never seen other patients’ partners, ya know…go back with them.” 

He hummed quietly, pressing light kisses over your neck, and murmured, “Maybe they should start… I’ll gladly go with you, but I…I’ll stay outside if you want.”

You huffed a laugh, squeaking when he playfully bit you. “ _Nero_!” He snickered and moved his hand down your back to slip it beneath your shirt, teasing over your skin and making you shiver. “Hey, no-” you paused to let out a soft moan, “I’m n-not comfy with s-sex right before that…!”

Nero let out a soft sigh and flattened his hand against your upper back to hold you close. “Okay…” he mumbled, kissing your forehead when you pulled away to stand, though he still gave a slight pout.

You pinched his lip with a smile and fondly muttered, “Brat.”

“ _Your_ brat,” he retorted with a little grin.

_______

Putting the task off wouldn’t do you any favors, so you always scheduled your appointments as the first thing in the morning, and that mentality certainly helped since the receptionist _squeaked_ upon spotting the big, prickly burr at your back. You gently elbowed Nero in the ribs and softly hissed, “Calm down. You’re scaring the poor girl.” You hadn’t realized _she_ was also part-demon, but you figured it made perfect sense due to being able to alert the doctor of other part-demons or mated humans. You were simply thankful there weren’t any other people there yet.

Nero huffed and stepped away from you, though not without gently feathering his fingers over the back of your neck, and sank into a chair. You rolled your eyes at him, giving the receptionist an easy smile. The poor girl looked scared out of her mind at a powerful Devil being so hostile, but you didn’t know how you could tell her _that_ was extremely mild in comparison to Nero being actually angry.

“It’s okay,” you stage-whispered, not caring that he could hear every word that you were saying, “He didn’t get his favorite coffee this morning, so he’s cranky.”

“Quit your squeakin’,” he grumbled loud enough to be heard, cracking open an eye to smirk at you when you growled. “She,” he nodded at the receptionist, “knows exactly why I’m keyed up.”

“Y-Yes,” the young lady stuttered quietly, “I d-do…and…and th-that’s why we d-don’t, um…we _encourage_ your m-m-mate to stay w-with you… He’ll b-be able to watch a-and see th-that we’re not…not… _doing anything_ …t-to you.”

Nero scoffed and settled more in his chair, waiting until you came over with a clipboard and pulling you into his lap. He shushed you when you tried to scold him and nuzzled into your hair. You got him to hold the clipboard so that you’d have a free hand to pet his hair, giggling softly when he started purring.

The receptionist’s call of your name startled you back to reality. “Claire’s ready f-f-for you,” the young lady continued, stuttering a little when faced with the aura of Nero’s Devil energy again. She scurried out of the way and led you to the exam room.

You planned to send the poor girl some candies in apology for the big brat at your back, pushing it out of your mind and forcing aside your nervousness when you saw your doctor inside. “Hi, Shelly. How’ve you been?” you greeted even as you shoved Nero into a chair. 

“Hey!” he tried to protest the treatment, but you pulled off your shirt and threw it over his head. He tugged it off and glared at you.

You glared right back before turning to your doctor, surprised to find a rather severe frown on her face. She was normally very kind and open, always ready with a smile or a little joke to ease your nerves, but seeing her pretty face pulled into such an expression worried you. She flicked her glossy, auburn curls over her shoulder. “Shelly, what’s wrong?” you wondered quietly, “Should I come back la-”

“No…no, you’re fine,” she mumbled, her voice slightly deep but soothing, “I never expected _you_ to be mated, much less to a _Son of Sparda_.”

“Oh, here we go!” Nero grumbled with a roll of his eyes, leaning back in the chair while crossing his arms. “What is it this time? Foul stench? Scent of the betrayer? Accursed-”

“Ugh, you’re as bad as he was,” she mumbled, rubbing her temples and heaving a sigh before turning to you. “Just…finish getting undressed…”

“Are you…Are you sure?” you asked, still quiet in the face of whatever was going on. “I mean, I can just-”

She growled quietly, her eyes that were normally a pretty, spring green flashing red with her agitation. “Look, I’m sorry,” she said to Nero, “You’re not Dante, and I shouldn’t take it out on you, but as soon as I _smelled_ you…” She smiled softly, though it was so sad. “He’s a big idiot and had his fun then moved on. It’s my stupid fault for getting attached.”

You jerked back to Nero when his chair scraped as he sat up, and he said, “Wait a sec… _That Shelly_? Dante got drunk off his ass once and told me about a girl whose name he couldn’t remember.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah… You’d think ‘Claire’ wouldn’t be that hard, but whatever…” she trailed off with a shrug. “We met at a beach, and I was picking up seashells, so he kept calling me Shelly…” That sad, little smile curved her lips again. “It grew on me.”

He huffed a soft laugh. “Sounds like that dumbass.” 

You were thankful for the visit going much smoother after that. Nero’s spectral claws only made appearances twice, but he was growly and clingy as you tried to put your clothes back on around him. “Ow, _Nero_!” you hissed quietly when he rubbed his palm over your butt, “That’s sore!” You were always sore for a day or two after each injection, which made doing anything aside from lying on your belly an annoying chore. 

He nuzzled your bare hip and mumbled, “I can take care of that.” Shifting so he could look at Shelly, he asked, “If I heal the soreness, will it cancel out her birth control?”

She glanced up at you both, raising an eyebrow at Nero and saying, “Most demons and hybrids don’t advertise when they can heal others… But, as long as it has stopped bleeding, you can.”

“Confidentiality, right?” he retorted, and you shivered when that blue-black tongue slid across his lips. Whiteish-blue energy sparked over it, specks of gold flickering through when he touched his tongue to your skin. You sucked in a breath at the sharp pain before it quickly faded. “No ass-kissing jokes,” he muttered once you relaxed, but you swatted his hand when it moved down your belly and added another swat to his head when you saw burning, slit irises glaring challengingly at your doctor.

Shelly snickered at your action and teased, “I’ll give you a discount for a show.”

“What?!” you blurted, a soft moan escaping you when Nero’s claws lengthened and teased your skin.

She threw her head back and _cackled_. “Oh, your face!” she gasped, wrapping her arms around her stomach. “If you knew…how many times…I’ve had patients’ mates… _immediately_ reaffirm their claim…” She leaned back and breathed deep for a few moments. “I’m surprised you even got your bra and shirt on. His,” she nodded at Nero, “self-control is the stuff of _legends_.”

“I never thought I’d be grateful for it,” you muttered, managing to put on the remainder of your clothes when Nero visibly reined in his instincts. You couldn’t help flicking your eyes between them and biting your lip. “How much of a discount were ya talkin’?” you wondered, grinning cheekily at the irony of him blushing from his shirt collar to his hairline since he had just been ready to take you in front of anyone.

He heaved an aggravated sigh as he stood. You squeaked when he threw you over his shoulder and stalked out of the room, giggling at him while Shelly laughed and waved.

_______

It was another two days before Nero got his Devil instincts under control enough to let you leave your bedroom. The only surface between it and your bathroom that hadn’t seen any action was your windows, and that was only because you knew it would break them. You had no clue how you were walking straight, much less sitting in the van on the way to Fortuna. The thought that Nero had something to do with it was one you shelved for later, just happy to be close to him and touching him by leaning half over the back of the passenger seat to wrap your arms around him.

He had pulled you into his lap at first. Nico had quickly gotten on both your nerves with her playful gagging plus picking her teeth for cavities in the mirror since both actions took her eyes off the road. A few parking meters were a little worse for wear, and all you could do was roll your eyes.

The ferry was a reprieve since Nico didn’t care much for the ocean, complaining about nausea and the spray ruining her hair and cigarettes. You figured she was just being dramatic since she was walking fine in the van. Nero didn’t look the gift horse in the mouth and quickly parked himself perfectly on the boat so that he could look outward and tug you to sit on his lap. You didn’t tease him for spending more time with his face in your neck due to enjoying it as much as he was.

Upon stepping onto the dock, you watched as he became more guarded than you’d ever seen, his eyes scanning everyone and everything like he was waiting for an attack. You would never forget what he told you and Dante, so you certainly couldn’t blame him. The wariness and agitation filtering through your mind were mostly from him, and if anyone did try to hurt him, you didn’t know if even Nero himself could hold you back. 

Once Nico rolled the van off the ferry, you and Nero were quick to get inside. With a quick scribble of a signature for the ferryman, the three of you were on your way to a house with a garage. The warmth that curled through you at the sight of it was all Nero. You couldn’t help a tiny giggle at the feeling, following him up to the front porch while Nico parked the van in the garage and noting how some of the tension left him as soon as he turned the doorknob.

You leapt away when he was promptly mowed over by three children alongside an impressive battle cry of, “ _Nero’s here!_ ” You barely kept yourself standing as you laughed. He rolled and wrestled with the three boys, and you honestly couldn’t tell which one was the most kid-like out of the whole group. Each time he pinned one rambunctious child, the other two would tag-team him.

He glanced up at you, and the sheer _joy_ in his grin and the sparkle in his eyes took your breath away. _This_ was family for Nero. You realized how closed off he was around Dante and Vergil, the latter especially so, after watching him play with three rowdy boys and turn his clothes green and brown with grass stains and dirt.

“Hello,” a soft voice greeted from behind you, making you jump and spin about with a hand on your gunblade. “I’m Kyrie,” she continued with one of the gentlest smiles you’d ever seen, “Nero’s talked to me a lot about you.”

“Yeah, I, ah…hope it was all good stuff,” you mumbled, a little shy in the face of such a beautiful person. Nero had been easy to deal with in comparison when you first met him with all his rough edges and crass attitude. “It’s, um…nice to meet you, uh…finally.”

She giggled quietly and confessed, “He spoke like you’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to him.”

You could feel the heat burning in your face, a spike of worry slicing through your embarrassment before it eased back into that warmth. A moment later, Nero stepped up to your side with the three boys. All four of them were a mess, and you couldn’t help laughing again at the sight of him with grass and leaves in his hair and with smudges of dirt on his face. Without even thinking, you reached for him and carded your fingers through his messy hair.

He purred quietly and gladly let you continue to dust his face off as well, cracking an eye open when Kyrie giggled then blushing brightly with wide eyes.

“I didn’t know you _purred_ …” she gently teased with an easy smile.

“I didn’t either,” he mumbled, rubbing his nose with a little grin.

She held the door open for the boys as she added, “It’s cute. I’m very glad to see you happy. You deserve this.”

He blushed even darker, stammering a little as he hustled both her and you inside, and you snickered at him, squeaking in surprise when he swatted your butt.

Kyrie was lighting fast, immediately pinching his left arm. He hissed quietly at the sharp sting, and she softly scolded, “Not in front of the boys.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, “It’s a reflex.”

You huffed and retorted, “Kicking you in the shin is a reflex, too.”

Nero made sure the boys weren’t looking then swatted your behind again, smoothly dodged Kyrie’s pinching fingers, somehow managed to _not_ hit the shelf, trip over the shoes, _or_ knock a picture off the wall, and grinned the entire way.

Your voice was a whisper when you wondered, “How does he _do_ that?!”

Kyrie rolled her eyes at him with a fond smile. “When you find out, let me know.”

_______

Meeting Kyrie and the boys: Julio, Carlo, and Kyle, was a slice of relaxing heaven you didn’t know you needed. You and Kyrie bonded easily in the kitchen, and she humorously warned you that, while Nero was amazing as a sous chef and cooking either at the stove or the grill, you should never let him near the oven. You had wondered where the scorch marks that you could barely see behind the cabinets were from.

“So, he can do mixing, kneading, and applies icing like an artist,” you summarized while admiring the repair job on the cabinets, “but if he touches the oven, it just goes to sh- crap?” You were still trying to watch your language.

Kyrie gave a little smile in appreciation for your censoring efforts and answered, “That’s basically it. He can make the best pizza ever, though that’s the only thing that doesn’t catch on fire.” She stared at the burnt marks for a moment with a very fond smile. “I would blame it on Dante’s eating habits, but Dante’s his uncle…and Nero likes pasta more.”

You snorted with a glance over your shoulder, having felt Nero close, and caught him hovering at the door and watching you both with a happy, little smile. “Maybe it’s a Sparda’s bloodline thing, but I’m not sure if Vergil or Dante can cook at all.” You winked at him and went back to cutting vegetables for Kyrie. He almost seemed like he didn’t want to intrude at first, but a moment later, warm arms circled around you.

Nero was always unobtrusive, especially so when you were cutting things, and you smiled when he nuzzled your hair and pressed a kiss to your head. “You two doing okay in here?” he asked softly. He had been worried that you and Kyrie might not click at first since she was his first love. He loved her very much, but he wasn’t _in love_ with her, and you understood that.

“Yeah,” you mumbled, giving a little smile to Kyrie before adding, “We’re not baking, so you’re safe.”

“Oh, ha ha…” He couldn’t help grinning, though, tightening his arms just a bit in a little squeeze.

_______

Nero was planning to show you around at least some of Fortuna while you were visiting. You’d gladly see where and what he wanted to show you since they would mostly be places important to him, but there was one other person you wanted to meet. That morning, you woke to him and Kyrie having a quiet conversation. They were talking about the kids and the finances, and you knew most of his personal income from the business went to caring for the orphans. It was one of the reasons you never minded feeding him even before you were a couple.

“How’s Aurora?” was his next question as you entered the kitchen, and you grinned a little when you noticed his bare-toe fidgeting. He kissed your arm when you reached around him for his empty cup. You gladly took the clean cup Kyrie offered you and poured coffee for both him and you, taking only an extra moment to make his just the way he liked it then handing the cup back to him. “She was sick when I was here a couple weeks ago,” he continued as you puttered about.

“I filled her up with a bunch of soup,” Kyrie replied while making a cup of tea for herself. “I managed to get her to take some medicine, too, so she was doing much better when I checked on her a few days ago.”

Nero’s eyebrows had shot up at the mention of medicine. “How in the world did you get her to take it? She’s crabbier than Nico when she’s sick.”

“ _Nero_ ,” she scolded gently, and you realized then why he responded so quickly to that tone when you used it. He cringed a little and ducked his head, hiding his little smile behind his coffee cup. “I told her that she wouldn’t get any more of my soup and that I’d sic you on her if she didn’t take it. You can out-stubborn a dragon, so she grumbled but took it.”

“I’m not _that_ bad,” Nero mumbled, and when you snickered, he pouted then asked, “Am I?”

“Worse,” you teased, dropping a kiss on his cheek as you sat beside him.

“So…you wanna meet her?” he wondered, switching the subject away from ‘Pick on Nero’ grounds.

“Aurora, right? Who is she?” you asked as you sipped on your coffee.

He pressed his lips together, staring into his cup for a moment before saying, “Remember when I mentioned a woman who helped me out as a kid? Didn’t turn me in when I needed salve?” You nodded, feeling a flash of boiling anger again at the people on this island. “That’s her,” he finished, reaching out and tracing the backs of his fingers down your cheek since he had clearly felt that burning emotion.

You smiled and leaned into the touch, quietly answering, “I was hoping to meet her before we left.”

Kyrie was smiling softly as she watched the two of you interact, hating to cut into the peaceful moment with her question, “Do you want me to call ahead and let her know you’re coming?”

Nero grinned mischievously. “Nah. I wanna surprise her. I haven’t gotten to do more than call her since before that stupid tree, so I wonder how hard she’s gonna rail at me.”

Kyrie laughed and shook her head. “Are you masochistic?”

He bumped your shoulder with his arm and muttered, “Gotta be to put up with this pipsqueak.”

You kicked his leg under the table, smirking behind your cup at his grunt of pain.

_______

Once out in the public of Fortuna, it was like all the walls in Nero’s heart and mind that you had painstakingly navigated became full strength again. His hand twitched with the desire to touch you, but he didn’t reach for you. Each time you traced your fingers down his arm, he tensed, took half a step away, and cast his gaze around at everyone on the street. You quickly became annoyed and took his hand to tug him to a stop.

“Quit letting them win,” you whispered fiercely. “The only way they can hurt you now is with their words, and that’s only if you _let them_ hurt.” The desire for touch was like a blistering ache. You knew you were feeling his along with your own and also knew it was the same for him. You weren’t used to restraining yourself, and doing so for the last couple of days was starting to agitate you horribly.

“But…I don’t want them to target _you_ …” he confessed so softly that you barely heard him.

“They…don’t…matter…” you replied vehemently, “ _You do_.” You took his other hand and held both up, flattening your palms against his. “You are more important to me than this whole stupid island full of these stupid people. Nero…” you paused and gave him a gentle smile, “the only ones who mean anything to me here are those who mean something to _you_.”

He stared at you for a long moment before taking in a deep breath and letting it go slowly. “You’re right,” he mumbled, twining his fingers with yours and shivering as his Devil instincts finally relaxed a bit. “It’s like…this entire place is a challenge to me…to what we have… It’s kinda drivin’ me nuts.”

You huffed a soft laugh and muttered, “They can all suck a dick.”

He bit his lip but couldn’t muffle his snickers or keep from grinning. “And you chide me for my attitude…” he teased before tugging gently on your hands and adding, “C’mon, Aurora’s place is just a few blocks ahead.”

Nero held the door open for you, the bell above it announcing your presence, and you were hit with the smell of flowers and a waft of incense that combined surprisingly well. “This is a shop, right?” you wondered, looking at the shelves and finding different salves, oils, and teas along with multiple kinds of small, flowering plants.

“Yeah,” he answered, “Sort of a specialty type thing. The oils, uh…” he rubbed his nose, “She makes great oils for, um…massages.”

You looked up at him with a little smirk. “I’ll keep that in mind,” you said just to see him blush, though you did intend on buying some if you could. You enjoyed showing love to Nero’s entire body.

“Just a second!” a woman’s voice called from the back before she stepped out from a doorway, wiping her hands on a towel. You noticed she wasn’t much taller than you and that her hair looked like waves of chocolate silk before the vivid, dark blue of her eyes pinned you in place. A moment later, the rag was tossed over her shoulder while she almost jumped the counter. “Nero?! Goodness, child, look at you!”

“Eh? It hasn’t been _that_ long…” He shifted his weight between his feet, brashly wondering, “Did you go senile while I was gone?” and yelping when she swatted the back of his head.

“You left this old woman to worry about you!” Nero leaned away from her finger waggling in his face. “Kyrie told me about the demon tree, the sweet girl,” she paused and absentmindedly adjusted the collar of his coat, “but I would’ve liked to have heard it from _your_ mouth, too!” She used her grip on the fabric to shake him one good time. “That smack is the least you deserve!” She leaned close and glared at him before continuing, “ _And_ your demon is fully awake! You didn’t even tell me _that_!”

He held his hands up, flinching badly when she grabbed his right arm even though her touch was gentle. “S-Sorry, I guess I, uh…d-didn’t think-”

You weren’t sure you had _ever_ seen Nero this uncomfortable, and that included your lack of filter from that incubus’s thrall months ago.

“I couldn’t have even helped with this…” she mumbled, and you wondered how in the world she would’ve managed re-growing an arm. “Well,” she stepped back and crossed her arms, “Let’s see it.”

“Uh…see what?” he asked in confusion.

“Your demon form, of course!” she answered like he should’ve known what she was talking about. “I’m pretty sure that’s the only way your arm would’ve gone back to normal.”

“Uh, no? It grew back.”

“ _What_?!” she shrieked, and you could’ve sworn you heard the windows crack. “What do you mean _grew back_?!” She looked very pale, so you snagged a chair and eased her into it, shushing her when she protested. “…You _flinched_ … Okay, how about you start from the beginning?” She glared up at him, and the golden power in her eyes startled you a little. “And I’ll know if you fib, you hear me, boy?”

“Er- Y-Yes, ma’am,” he stammered before telling her the same abridged version of the story that he had told you on that park bench what felt like ages ago. He couldn’t have lied to her even if he wanted to. Every gut feeling that he had pushed him to trust her the way it never had for anyone in Fortuna aside from Kyrie. His Devil instincts weren’t even pinging danger, feeling more like contentment in Aurora’s presence. He really had no clue what to do with the oddness other than enjoy it.

“Okay,” she rubbed her temples before looking at you, “and who’re you?”

You didn’t beat around the bush, giving your name and bluntly stating, “I’m his mate.”

She held up her hand, and you were surprised to find it glowing with gold energy as she passed it down the front of your body. “Oh, yes… I can _feel_ the bond… That’s good, _very_ good… You’d live, kill, and die for this boy. You love him more than anything…”

You gazed steadily at Nero’s blushing face and affirmed, “Yes.”

Aurora stood and did the same to him, but she stared in surprise when the golden power flowed into him. His eyes slipped closed as he hummed quietly. She cut the output and shook her hand out before patting his cheek, his glazed eyes flickering open to stare blearily at her. “So…did you want to show me your demon form?”

The whiteish-blue energy rolled over him before he even had a moment to think about it, though you couldn’t help being happy with his lack of hesitation. You could feel how calm he was, and it honestly surprised you. You had only known him to be this relaxed at your house, some measure of his guard raised even at Kyrie’s, though that was likely due to the maiming that he suffered there.

Aurora studied him for a moment before asking, “Who did you say your father was again? Vergil?” He hummed and gave a lazy nod. “And your mother?”

 ** _“Don’t know,”_** he mumbled and started to look away in shame, but you felt the emotion brewing and slipped up to his side to take his hand. The streaks of power transitioned to that lovely gold, fading into the whiteish-blue along the outsides of the markings. A desire for touch hit you both very hard, and he didn’t think twice about wrapping all four of his arms around you to hold you tightly.

Aurora stood to the side and observed, understanding the need for comfort and letting you both have your moment. “When you get a chance,” she advised softly, “you need to ask your father about your mother. Even if he didn’t know about you, he certainly knew enough about her to have sex with her.”

“He was mated to her,” you corrected, nuzzling Nero’s chest and kissing the little patch of scar tissue at his solar plexus.

She blinked and looked away a moment before sighing. “Then it’s even more necessary. I don’t want to assume anything, so I’ll keep my theories to myself.” She reached over and plucked a bottle of oil off the shelf, handing it to you with a wink as she whispered, “He’ll appreciate it later.” You had to argue with her to let you pay for it.

That night, you were thankful Nero had taken the bedroom on the other side of the house from Kyrie and the kids. The pillows couldn’t completely muffle his rumbling moans and purring. The oil from Aurora smelled amazing, but you found the scent was so much better on his skin. You loved it even more for the sounds he made as you used it to work tension from his muscles.

_______

The rest of your vacation was much more relaxing. Julio, Carlo, and Kyle warmed up to you quickly when they saw you and Nero roughhousing, and you played with them quite a bit. Nero found himself getting ganged up on by all four of you often, but he didn’t mind. He loved how you fit in his little family like there was a place for you that was waiting to be filled, and if that meant falling _on top_ of him while rolling around, then it was all the better as far as he was concerned.

There was some tinkering about in the garage involved when you needed a breather from all the energy the kids had. You honestly didn’t know how Nero kept up with them, but being an extra couple of hands for Nico while listening to some relaxing music resuscitated you for another bout of crazy playtime. She had some new ideas, and though you didn’t feel extremely helpful, she still appreciated your input.

You loved being in the kitchen with Kyrie and Nero, too. Sometimes it was just you and Kyrie with him watching, and sometimes it was all three of you, but you enjoyed observing just them. A memory you would cherish forever was Nero finding out the hard way about Kyrie’s new mixer. Her old one had broken, and she couldn’t find a similar one to replace it, so she’d had to upgrade.

Nero didn’t notice the ‘boost’ function that was part of the speed selector and pushed down too hard. You couldn’t stop laughing at the epic mess he made with the flour since you were so accustomed to him pulling outrageous maneuvers without a scratch. Kyrie was giggling but trying to hide it behind her hand. He stared at the bowl and mixer like they had betrayed him, flour slashed across the lower half of his abdomen and sprinkled all the way up the rest of his front. He looked up at both of you, a smile tugging at his lips before he grinned and rolled his eyes.

“Alright, alright…” he muttered, flicking flour at you and Kyrie. “This cake isn’t gonna make itself, so if you two hyenas wouldn’t mind…” You went to the sink for a cloth, dipping your fingers in the bowl on the way to wipe the ruined batter on his nose. “Hey!” he huffed, crossing his eyes to stare at it. He pressed his lips together, knowing his hands were too much of a mess to do him any good with wiping it off, then grinned at you when you turned around.

You couldn’t help giggling when he used his Devilish tongue to clean the smear away, though you took note of Kyrie’s shocked look before she could school her expression into amusement. It made you wonder if she sometimes forgot how much of him was Devil because he was so human. The way he froze until seeing her smile made you realize that, as wonderful as Kyrie was, Fortuna’s teachings still won out from time to time until she could push those first reactions aside. The cold blade of fear that sliced through you made you want to work faster to figure out how to soothe him through the bond.

Nero had never bought into The Order of the Sword’s dogma apart from fearing rejection for being part-demon. Demons attacked humans, but he could fight back and protect the people he cared about, so that’s what he did. It hit you that he had been afraid of how much he _enjoyed_ it. You couldn’t help speculating if his brutal fighting style had scared Kyrie, but you sighed softly and reached up to pinch his tongue that was still bluish-black and wrapped over his nose.

“Eh!” he managed in protest, grunting when you gently guided him to bend down to your level.

“You missed a spot,” you teased, licking up the bridge of his nose. A soft hum sounded in your throat at the way his eyes flashed with a quick, reddish glow before you mumbled, “You forgot the sugar in the batter, too.” It was thick and tasted bland, but his skin was always delicious.

“Then, I guess,” he muttered once you let go of his tongue, “my mixer mishap wasn’t a bad thing.”

You pressed your lips to his in a chaste kiss and went to work cleaning away the worst of the mess with the cloth.

_______

You and Nero could feel each other’s sadness at leaving the little slice of peace that was Kyrie’s house. Your heart was fit to burst with warmth, though, from Nero’s easy comment the day before, “We’re gonna be heading back home tomorrow.” He had called _your house_ his home. It was only feeling the bonfire of love from you that made him pause and realize it, and he had blushed and smiled that happy, little smile that you found so adorable.

“You’ll visit again, right?” Kyrie asked softly, and you had gotten so comfortable with her in the last few days that you simply hugged her.

“Of course, we will,” you assured, pressing your face in her shoulder and taking in a deep breath. You almost didn’t want to return home, having enjoyed the peace and happiness of being around Nero’s loved ones, and the pang of sorrow quickly had warm arms circling around both you and Kyrie. “I can’t help feeling so comfortable here…” you quietly admitted.

Nero nuzzled your hair and whispered, “Kyrie is just amazing like that…always makes you feel welcome and loved and like you actually _matter_ …”

“…Nero,” she scolded so gently, “You _do_ matter.”

“I know,” he mumbled, “That’s part of it…” He hid his face a little more, and you couldn’t have missed the flare of what had to be _shyness_. “She and I… We can, um… _feel_ each other,” he paused for a deep breath and stammered before blurting, “W-We- We’re mated.”

Kyrie gasped before giving that lovely smile that was like a hug all on its own. You were beginning to understand why she and Nero didn’t work out, and that was because she was all rounded, smooth edges while he had some edges that were beveled and some that were painfully sharp. He was terrified of ever hurting her, but the love he felt for her was a precious, warm flame. It was the kind of fire you could play with and pass your fingers through without getting burned.

It made you feel a little giddy, like you couldn’t help grinning with the bubbles of happiness, and you knew then what kept Nero’s heart so warm against the trials he had faced. “Thank you,” you breathed into her shoulder. “Thank you for protecting Nero from becoming cold-hearted… Without you and-and C-Credo,” you gritted your teeth against the stab of pain Nero always felt when Credo was mentioned, “I just… _thank you_ …”

She knew you were appreciating her for never losing faith in Nero. There were moments in their lives that she _had_ been afraid of him, and though she had a hard time forgiving herself for it, she would never let it stop her from being there for him in ways that she was comfortable with. She would _always_ be his family. No insane cult, no power-hungry humans, and certainly no demon blood would ever take that from them. “You’re welcome,” she replied with a gentle squeeze of her arms around you and Nero. She then nudged the subject back to lighter grounds with, “Why don’t you tell me what this mating thing is before you go? Nero usually doesn’t mention much about all the demon stuff.”

You leveled the man with a _look_ that clearly stated he had better _never_ leave you out of the loop. 

Nero grinned sheepishly and rubbed his nose.

**Author's Note:**

> Also on tumblr: @SilverSapphyre


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